Grab tool



N. M. SLOVER Feb. 17, 1931.

GRAB TOOL Rag??? g m L 0 3 L, 55/; 4 0 3 r 5.2% 0 F 9 6 HMQWSZ l6 W 8 M I 9 a 9 2 2 3, Mi, E525 @w AM a? a d FUJHW m w 2 4 Feb. 17, 1931. SLOVER 1,792,874..

GRAB TOOL Filed Dec. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

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35 FIG. /2

INVENTOR NATHAN M. SLOVER A TTORIVEY Patented Feb. 17, 1931 i: umrse srATss NATHAN M. SLOVEB, or BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS I GRAB @001.

Application filed December 9, 1928. Serial No. 412,753.

This invention relates to a tool particularly useful for retrieving articles whioh'have been lostor accidentally dropped into, wells during the process of drilling or cleaning 5 out, such articles consisting of bits,-reamers, pieces of rock, wrenches, hammers, and other debris which'may have gotteninto the well.

While particularly adapted for the use set forth above, my tool may be used for any;

other purpose to which it is applicable.

. Itis the principal objectof my'invention to provide a grab tool for the purposes set forth which will perform the functions intended eificiently and in an expeditious manner. V Another object of my invention is to pro-' vide a tool of the class described which is solid and substantial, yet relatively cheap tomanufacture. These and other objects will be apparent to one skilled in this art after a study of the specification taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein: i 1

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the tool. v Figure 2 is a sectional View through the tool taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the tool the same as Figure 1, but after the gripco ping jaws havebeen tripped. V

Figure 4: is a top View of one of the gripping jaws. H p

Figure 5 is a plan view of the jaw. V Figure 6 is a plan view of the hanger plate. 55 I Figure 7 is a view looking down from the top of the part shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of part of the control mechanism of the tool.

Figure 9 is a plan view looking down on the part shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 is' an elevational view of the tripper or trigger. j Figure 11 shows two Views of the tripper pull bars. 1 r

Figure 12 shows two views of the tripper stem locking arms.

Referring now, to the various views, 1 comprises the main part or casing of the tool, and this casing is preferadetails, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts 1n the vbly made of steel pipe of a suitable thickness, preferably cut smooth and square at the point 2, thereby providing shoulders for upset ends of the grab jaws '3 which are pivoted at 4 to lugs 5 riveted or welded to the side-walls of the tube 1.- a

The upper end of the tubular member 1 is provided witha suitable fittingG which is fastened to the tube 1 in any satisfaotory manner as by screw thread 7, The free end of the member 6is preferably provided'with a pipe-thread 8 to which a pipe or nipple may be fastened for the'purpose of raising and lowering the tool into the well Near the lower. end of the pipe 1, is mounted an annular plate9. As shown in thedrawings, a suitable number of lips 10 may be punched, inwardly from the wall of pipe 1,

"and the plate 9 then dropped into the pipe and lips 11 pushed under the plate, and if desired, the plate may be welded at the point 12 to the tube 1; or as. an alternative construction, the lower part .13 of pipe 1 may be made as a separate ring-and welded to the annular plate 9 and the lower portion of the Resting on the annular hanger plate 9, is a circular retaining member, preferably in the form of a piece of tubing 36. Positioned between the retaining member 36 and the wall of the pipe 1, is a compression spring 14: which rests on the hanger plate 9. The upper end of the spring 14 engages an abutment plate 15 adjustably carried on the threaded'end of a pin 16.which is fastened in any satisfactory manner as by a threaded collar 17, to a centrally positioned tube 18. To the lower end of the tube 18, is fastened a disc 19. The upper surface of the disc 19 is provided with lugs 20, one pair of which are disposed on opposite sides of the axial center of the disc. The lugs 20 support a pin 21 for a purpose to be later described.

which may'take different forms, but as shown,

it is in the form of a plate 25 to which is fastened an upwardly extending stem 26. To reduce the weight, the stem 26 is preferably made of tubing and has its upper end closed by a plate 27' on which rests a spring 28, the upper end of which abuts against the lower portion of the pin 16. The tube 18 is slot-ted on opposite sides at 29 to allow a pair of tripper locking arms 80 to pass therethrough. The locking arms 30. are, pivoted at 31 to the stem 26 and pass through slots in the stem 26 corresponding to the slots29 in the tube 18.

The outward ends of the arms 30 extend respectively between a pair of the lugs and under the pin 21, which together may begenerally referred to as a retainingdevice, and

when the tool set in open position, the ends 32 of the arms 30 extend into oppositely arranged holes in the lowerend of the retaining member 36, thereby locking thearms in the positionas shown in Figure 1, and consequently holding the jaws 3 in open position.

The aws 3 are-provided with pins 33 which are preferably pointed and hardened to grip the device which is to be grabbed by the jaws.

In order to set the tool in grabbing position, there are provided openings 34 in the wall of the tubular member 1, through which openings a suitable implement may be passed which will engage the upperend of the pin 16 to force the same, together with the tube 18 and the plate 19, downwardly against the spring 14 until, due to the spring 18, the ends of the locking arms 30 drop intothe holes in the retaining member'13, all as shown in Figure 1, thereby setting the tool in grabbing position to be dropped into the well.

Coming now to thegrabbing operation of the tool, it will be readily understood that when the tool is dropped into the well, the ob ject strikes the tripper and pushes thestem 26 upwardly, thereby pulling the locking arms out of the holes in the retaining member 36, allowing the spring 14 acting against the plate 15, to lift the tube 18 and plate 19 upwardly to the position shown in'Fig. 3. The upward movement of the plate 19 acting through the levers 23,. pulls the jaws to the closed position as shown in Figure 3, thereby grabbing the object, and the tool is then pulled up out of the well and reset as already explained.

It will be apparent thatnumerous changes in the details of my invention may be made; for example, if deeper fishing is desired, the tripper plate 25 may be fastened to a collar which in turn may be adjustable on the stem 26,-which in this case is cut oil at the collar 35.

Since these variations in the constructional details may be made, I do not wish to be unduly limited in the interpretation of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A grab tool including; a tubular member having an operating member attached to one end thereof, a hanger plate fastened with in the tubular member near its other end, a circular retaining member anchored to said plate and having oppositely positioned holes in its wall near the plate, a compression spring resting on said plate and extending upwardly between said retaining and tubular members, a. centrally positioned tube having adisc fastened to its lower end, said disc having guide devices on its upper side adjacent the holes in said retaining member and lugs on its lower surface, jaws pivoted at the lower end of said tubular member, levers connected between said jaws and the lugs on said disc, a tripper positioned between said jaws and having a stem extending upwardly within said central tube, locking arms pivoted to said stem and normally extending through the wall of the central tube through said guide devices on the disc into the holes in said retaining member, aspring held within said central tube and pressing against said tripper stem and normally holding said loching arms in locking position whereby said jaws are held in open position, a pin fastened to the upper end of said central tube, and an abutment plate adjustably carried on said pin for tensioning the first mentioned compression spring.

2. A grab tool including; a tubular member having-an operating member attached to one end thereof, a hanger plate fastened within the tubular member near its other end, a

circular retaining member anchored to said plate and provided with lever retaining means, a spring having its lower end positioned between the retaining and tubular members, a centrally positioned tube having a disc fastened to its lower end, said disc having guide devices adjacent said lever retaining means, lugs on said disc, jaws pivoted at the lower end of said tubular member, levers connectedbetween said jaws and the lugs on the disc, a tripper positioned between said jaws and having a stem extending upwardly within said central tube, lockin arms pivoted to said stem and extending through the wall of the tube and through said guide devices and adapted to engage said lever retaining means, a spring held within said central tube and pressing against said tripperstem and acting to normally hold said locking arms in engagement with said lever retaining means whereby said jaws are held in open position, a pin fastened to the upper end of said central tube, and an abutment plate adjustablv carried on said pin for tensioning the first mentioned compression spring.

3. A grab tool including; a tubular member having an operating member attached to one end thereof, a hanger plate fastened with means, a springhaving its lower-end positioned between theretaining andtubular members, ,a centrally l positioned tube having,

a disc fastened to its lower'end, said disc having guide devices adjacent saidlever retainmg means, lugs onsaid disc, aws plvoted at the lower end of said tubular member, levers connected between said j awe and the lugs on the disc, a tripper positioned betweensaid jaws and having a stem extendlng upwardly within said central tube, lockin'g arms pivoted to said stem and extending through the wall of the tube and through said guide devlces' and-adapted' to engage said lever retaining means, a spring held Within said central tube and pressing against said tripper stem and acting to normally hold said locking arms in engagement with said lever retaining means whereby said jaws are held in open position, said aws being provided with inwardly projecting pins to grip an article, and said tubular member beingprovided with at least one opening adjacent the upper end ofsaid central pin whereby an implement may be inserted therethrough so'as to act on the pin to reset the tool substantially as described.

4AA grab tool including; a tubular member with means for moving the same, grab jaws pivoted to the lower end of said member, a tripper positioned between said jaws and having an upwardly projecting stem, a movable tube having one end extending over said stem, a disc carried by said tube and having guide devices thereon, levers extending from the disc and fastened to said jaws adjacent said pivot points, said tubular member carrying within'means for retaining lever ends, locking arms fastened to said stem and projecting through said tube and adapted to be guided by said guide devices into engagement with said lever retaining means, a spring within said tube acting on said stem, a spring supported within said tubular member, and means for transmitting the force of said last mentioned spring to said movable tube as and for the purpose described. V V

5. A grab tool including; a tubular member with means for moving the same, grab jaws pivoted to the lower end of said member, a tripper positioned between said jaws member carrying within means for retaining lever ends, locking arms fastened to said stem and projecting through said tube and adapted to be guided by said guide. devices into engagement with said lever retaining means, a spring within said tube acting'on saidstem, a spring supported within said tubular member, and means fortransmitting the force ofsaid last mentioned springto said movable tube as and for the purpose described,- said tubular member being provided with-at least one opening whereby an implement may be applied to said movable tube toreset the tool to open position) A presetting grab toolincluding; a

' hollow member having means for moving the same, arcuately formed'grab jaws pivoted to the lower end'of the hollow member and normally having an {abutment on the end of said hollow member, means for holding said jaws ln said normal positlon including cooperative llocking parts, a tripper positioned with n the confines of said jaws and having a part extending upwardly, locking means carried by said tripper part for engaging said cooperative locking parts, and spring actuated means for closing the jaws together when said tripper has been pushed upwardto separate said locking parts and 'nieansa a 7 7. A presetti'ng grab tool including; a hollow member having means for moving the same,'arcuately formed grab jaws pivoted to 1. the lower'end-ofthe hollow member, a' trip- 'per' positioned'within the confines of said jaws and havingan upwardly extending stem, a spring'cooperatmg with associated parts nor'mally tending to move the jawsto closed position, locking a'rms carried by said same," arcuately formed grabjaws pivoted to the lower 'endof the hollow member, a tripper positioned within the confines ofsaid jaws and having an "upwardly extending stem, a spring cooperating with associated parts normally tending to move the jaws to closed position, locking arms carried by said stem for restraining said'spring and holding the jaws in open position, and means acting on the stem for holding the tripper and said locking arms in position to be tripped, said hollow member being provided with means whereby'an implement may be applied indirectly 'to the tripper to reset it and its locking arms to set position. i

9. A presetting grab tool including; a hollow member'having means for moving the same, ar'cuately formed grab jaws pivoted to the'lower end of the hollow member, a tripper positioned within the confines of said jaws and having anupwardly extending stem, a centrally located, tube having its lower end passing over the upper end of the tripper stem, a disc carried by-the tube and having links pivoted to said jaws, a pin, carrying a having movable arms cooperating .coll'ar, fastened to the upper'end of the tube,

a springacting on the collar normally tending to move the tube and disc; so as to:close the'jaws, locking means carried by the tripperstem for restraining said spring from having means for moving the same, grab jaws pivoted to the lower end of the casing, said aws having their outer surfaces formed to conform to the outer contour of the casing when the jaws are in open position, a centrally arranged movable member having levers connected to said jaws, a spring normally tending to move the movable member and jaws to closed position, a tripper supported by said movable member, locking means carried by the tripper for normally holding the movable member agalnst movement due to .the spring, means for holding the tripper in holding position, and means provided for presetting the tool in position to grab.

11. A grab tool including a tubular casing having means 'for moving the same, grab jaws pivoted to the lower end of the casing, said aws having an abutment against the lower end of said casing, a movable tube centrally positioned within the casingand provided with means connected to said jaws, a spring arranged to act on said tube to normally close the jaws, a tripper carried by said tube and with means supported by the casing for holding the spring in restrained position, and a spring within the tube acting-to hold the tripper and arms in locked position.

12.. A grab tool including a tubular casing having means for moving the same, grab jaws pivoted to the lower end of the casing, a movable member within the casing and having means connected to said jaws to move the same, a spring, means for transmitting the force of the spring tosaid movable member which tends to move -so as to close the aws,

"a tripper supported by said member, means comprising permanent parts of the tool actuated by the tripper for holding said movable 'member from movement, and means provided for presetting the tool in position tograb.

13. A grab tool including a tubular casing havingmeans for moving the same,- grab jaws pivoted to the lower end of the casing, amovable member within the casing and having means connected to'saidjaws tomove the same, a spring actingon said movablemem- :ber tending tomove t-he jaws to closed position, a second spring and a member slidable upward against the tension of said second spring only for allowing the first spring to function to close the j aws.

14. A grab tool including a casing having attachment means for moving the same, grab jaws pivoted at the lower endof said casing,

a'movable member within the casing, means connecting the jaws to said movable member, means continuously acting on said movable member tending to move the jaws to closed position, means acting in conjunction with 7 NATHAN M. SLOVER. 

